Evolution
by Brilliant Comet
Summary: Before going to the Unova region, Ash is haunted by his nightmares. Once he overcomes these nightmares he comes to the Unova region. Deep, down in side, Ash knows he feels different. He feels like he can do it. He feels like he can become a Pokemon Master.


**Author's Note: I do not own pokemon. Thought I should put this up here I guess. Anyways, enjoy! :D**

**Prologue**

The sun rose above Pallet Town's horizon. The pidgeys began to sing, yawns released, the tired sighs, the groans, and the sizzling of pans were heard. However, there was one house where you could hear the humming of a Gengar.

The Ketchum household.

Many people would cringe if they had a Gengar living in their homes. They were ghost pokemon and they were known to haunt objects and in many stories, people. The fear of winding up cursed or even worse, dead, turned people off from ghost type pokemon. Only a rare few would have the guts to raise a ghost pokemon and that was Gengar's trainer, Ash Ketchum.

Recently, Ash had returned home from the long trip from the Sinnoh region. His exploits usually brought about much fame and attention to the small town and his triumphs in the Sinnoh league were no different. He had placed in the top four, probably the best he has ever done since the Orange Island. Many would be happy with that accomplishment, but Ash wasn't.

Gengar could tell these things. He knew that once Ash came home, something was bothering him. Ash counted as his third consecutive loss in a pokemon league tournament. Gengar knew that it was bugging him. The ghost pokemon was his best friend and he knew him better than his human friends.

"Oh Gengar!" Mrs. Ketchum, the matriarch of the household called, "Breakfast is ready, so can you call Ash down for me?"

The ghost pokemon nodded after being broken from his thoughts. He let out a simple noise from its usually grinning mouth and the purple ghost began to fade from existence before appearing on the second floor in front of his friend's bedroom. The pokemon turned the knob with a purple hand and floated inside.

Ash was writing in his bed. A pained expression was painted on his face and sweat seemed to cascade down from his forehead. His eyebrows were quivering and his lips struggled to form words. Ash was having a nightmare. Gengar eyes bulged in worry before floating by his trainer's side in attempt to wake him up.

"Daddy…" Ash managed to mumble out.

The pointy ears on top of the pokemon's head perked. Gengar finally knew the reason why his trainer was so troubled and to be honest, why he didn't see it before was beyond him. Of course the ghost pokemon knew of Ash's father, his actions was what caused Ash and him to meet.

Gengar would never forget how he and Ash met. The met back in Cinnibar Island. Back then, he lived in the abandoned mansion that stood on top of the land formation. No one ever came inside the rotting two story house, so the ghost pokemon was often to his own devices. Who wouldn't be bored if all they had was an empty mansion that looked like it could fall apart any second?

Ash stood out in his memory because he was the first visitor the ghastly had ever seen. At first, the ghost was going to scare him just for kicks, but when he observed the boy, he had noticed that the little human was crying. When seeing tears hit the carpet, the young ghastly changed his mind. He was going to make this child laugh. He floated around the boy, as if in some hypnotic dance, before making funny sounding noises and stretching his face and letting his tongue dance around in the air.

The little boy was scared at first, but after seeing the funny faces the pokemon was making, he began to chuckle and then burst into fits of laughter. After that, they just played around in the mansion. They played many silly games inside that mansion and what ghastly love the most was that Ash would come back. After the first day of fun, Ash made it his job to come and visit the ghost pokemon everytime he could. He had the most fun with the ghost pokemon and he seemed to help the little boy forget all of his troubles.

Ghastly adored him. He loved being able to play with someone besides himself and the other boring pokemon that took residence. Soon, the pokemon became so attached that he came home with Ash one day and since then, they were never apart. How did Ash's father fit? Well, it had taken awhile, but Ash had told him one day about his dad.

"He disappeared," Eight-year-old Ash said one night.

Ash's father had packed his bags and left. He left his wife and his son to become a pokemon master. His disappearance affected both mother and son greatly. Ash's mother suffered from heart break and Ash suffered the torment from the other children on the island. The boy missed his father and it was made worse once the children made fun of him about his father abandoning him. That was how he had ended up in the mansion. The teasing and insults from his peers became too much and he just ran as far as his legs could take him and that just happened to be the mansion ghastly lived in.

"I'll bring him back," Ash declared, "I'll become a pokemon master and drag him back home."

"Gas?"

"You'll help me right ghastly?"

Of course, he would help. Ash was his best and only friend. He would do anything to make Ash happy because he brought the pokemon happiness. If making him happy was to help him bring his dad home, then he would. He would do the best that he could. And from that moment on, ghastly was Ash's first pokemon.

Gengar used both of his hands and grabbed his trainers arm to stop him from moving around. The ghost pokemon then began to shake his trainer wildy and with a start, Ash sat up.

"Gengar," Ash mumbled. He wiggled loose from his pokemon's grip and rubbed his drooping eyes. His black hair was in disarray, bags seemed to be forming under his eyes, and his white t-shirt was all wrinkled from all the frantic moving he did, "Sorry, a nightmare."

Ash got up from his bed and walked over to his closet. He grabbed his pokeball hat and placed it on his head, took off his shorts to put on a pair of jeans, changed out of his white t-shirt into a yellow one, slipped a blue and white jacket with a yellow zipper on, and slipped on some white socks. Ash then ran his hands flat against his jacket as if to get rid of dust before turning around, "Mom's got breakfast ready right?"

His best friend nodded and Ash smiled, "Thanks buddy."

Gengar gave him a hesitant smile and Ash just patted his head. He walked out of the room afterwards to brush his teeth and when he left a face of concern slipped on Gengar's face. He couldn't help it; he knew why Ash was so troubled lately.

Ash was worried that he would never be able to find his father.


End file.
